Barbecue spit



Dec. 29, 1942. v A BENSQN .12,306,517

. BARBECUE SPIT Filled May 17, 1941 ATToRNEy Patented Dec. 29, 1942UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BARBECUE SPIT Victor A. Benson, MountainView, Calif.

Application May 17, 1941, Serial No. 393,985

1 Claim.

The present invention relates particularly to means for eiecting themechanical rotation of a spit of the type used on barbecue stoves andthe like.

In the barbecuing of meats it is common practice to journal the spit inupright standards and then rotate the spit by hand through the medium ofa crank. This manual operation of the spit is, however, a very tediousand irksome process, largely because the spit should be rotated at afairly uniform rate of speed and for quite a long period of time, thetime required depending, of course, upon the size of the piece beingbarbecued.

It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to provide meanswhereby the spit can be rotated at a uniform speed for any desiredperiod of time without the use of manual labor.

It is another object of the invention to provide means of the characterindicated constructed and arranged to permit its quick and easy assemblyin operative relationship to the barbecue grill frame, and its quick andeasy detachment therefrom.

It is also an object to provide means of the character indicated thatwill be economical to manufacture, that consists of few parts, that issimple in form and construction, strong, durable, and highly eiiicientin its practical application.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a barbecue grill frame in position on itssupporting standards and with a spit assembly embodying my inventionmounted thereon.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the assembly shownin Figure l, showing the spit mounting and driving mechanism.

Figure. 3 is a side elevation of the structure at 3-3, Figure 2, withparts broken away.

Figure 4 is a view on line 4-4 of Figure 2, with parts broken away. y

In the particular embodiment of the invention herein disclosed I show atI the xed vertical standard upon which the grill frame 2 is mounted tomove vertically by means of hoisting devices not shown, through themedium of cables as 3. The standard I is made of U bars placed with theanges turned inwardly, and the framel I has a U bar section 4 mounted oneach end f thereof with its anges directed outwardly to overlap theinwardly directed flanges on the standard and to slide thereon, forminga pocket 5. The channel sections 4 are sufficiently long to maintain theframe 2 in a horizontal plane.

On the ends of the frame 2, and close to the 6.5

parts 4, are mounted bearing members 6 and 'I, these members projectingalittle above the top plane of the said frame 2. The bearing mem-' ber 6has a hole drilled therethrough as at 8 to receive the pointed end 9 ofthe spit I0. The other member 1 has a socket II formed in its top edgeto receive the rounded portion I2 of the spit which is otherwise squarein cross-section throughout its length. The round portion I2 of the spitis slightly longer than the thickness of the bearing 'I so that when thepointed'end 9 of the spit is inserted in the hole 8 the rounded portionI2 will drop into thel bearing 1. This method of assembly permits thefree rotation of the spit in its bearings but at the same timeeiectually prevents longitudinal movement therein. On the spit I0 areslidably mounted the meat supporting prongs as I3.

The spit is operated by means of an electric motor encased in a housingas I5, the motor I4 being of the geared-down type and having a sprocketI6 on its shaft I1. The small sprocket I6 is drivingly connected to alarger sprocket I8 on spit I0 by means of a chain I9. l

The motor housing I5 is mounted on an end plate 20 which in turn ispivotally mounted as at 2l on ay bracket 22. The mounting at 2l consistsof a bolt and wing-nut` so placed that when the nut is loosened and thehousing I5 swung toward the spit sprocket I8 the chain will be loosenedsuiciently to permit its removal from the sprocket I8.

The bracket 22 upon which the motor is mounted is bent at right-anglesat 23 and again at 24 to provide an end part 25 disposed to seat uponthe adjacent bar section 4 and to which it is removably secured by meansof a bolt and wing-nut 26.

By means of the construction described the motor is quickly and easilyattached to or removed rom the grill frame by manipulation oi thewing-nut 26, yet when in position the motor is rigidly held in positionrelative to the sprocket I8. The sprocket I8 is rigidly mounted on the.end of spit I0 and may be used as a handle for turning the spit, yetthe drive chain I9 may be quickly and easily placed thereon or removedtherefrom by manipulation of the bolt 2I. By placing the part 4.astrideof the part I a pocket 5 is formed which accommodates the head of thebolt 26.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A structure of the character described comprising, supporting meansincluding vertical and parallel channel irons having their flangesdirected inwardly toward each other, a grill frame disposed in ahorizontal plane between said irons, channel iron sections mountedvertically on said frame at its ends with their ilanges directedoutwardly to overlap and slidably engage the outer sides of thesupporting means, a bracket removably mounted on the inner surface ofone of said sections above the plane of the frame and bent 10 to extendoutwardly therefrom at right angles thereto and thence angularly intoparallel relation with the end of the frame, a, plate pivotally mountedon the last named end of the bracket to swing in a plane paralleltherewith and means for securing said plate against swinging, anelectrio motor mounted on said plate and having a sprocket mounted onits shaft, a spit rotatably mounted on the grill frame in parallelrelation with its longer axis and having a sprocket mounted on one endthereof, and a chain drivingly connecting the spit sprocket and themotor sprocket.

VICTOR A. BENSON.

